The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Pet owners enjoy taking their dogs for long walks and bike rides. Most local municipalities require that pet owners collect any solid waste their dog deposits. Often the pet owner will have to hold a leash in one hand and a bag full of waste in their other. This is inconvenient and unsanitary.
Several attempts have been made to solve the problems facing dog walkers who are required to pick up and dispose of solid pet waste. Examples are: U.S. Pat. No. 9,078,417 (2015), U.S. Pat. No. 9,049,910 (2015), U.S. Pat. No. 7,695,034 (2010), U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,462 (2006), U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,737 (2001), U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,119 (2002), U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,473 (2001), U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,590 (2000), U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,809 (2000) and U.S. Pat. No. D724,843 (2015). Some of the patents mentioned above are addressed products which simply carry personal items in addition to dog waste and have certain drawbacks.
For example, the patents cited above that are related to waste holding suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, the main body is typically constructed in a closed form. Having an enclosed form does not allow waste odor to escape which makes the device unsanitary as well as retaining odors. Further, such devices are typically formed as one unit which does not allow the pet owner the flexibility as to which accessories they need to take depending on the expected journey. For example, if the owner is going for a short walk during the day, only a bag dispenser may be required, yet these devices do not offer the flexibility and require the owner to take the entire unit. Still further, waste storage units made out of fabric are flimsy and difficult to close after placing a bag full of waste into the fabric pouch. Also, waste storage units made out of fabric are difficult to clean as a full washing is required. Finally, enclosed waste storage units cause the pet owner to have to handle the pet waste multiple times, e.g., while inserting the waste and then removing the waste for disposal.
Accordingly, there is a need for a multi-purpose system for storing and disposing of pet animal waste which overcomes the problems recited above.